The name is Allen. Ken Allen.
These days Ken Allen is a nobody.
But once upon a time, his name was Brand. Jove Brand.
Eighteen years ago, Ken Allen played the famous fictional superspy in Near Death, a movie so bad it was never meant to be seen. Since then, Ken has faded into cult obscurity, but when his celebrated successor is killed in the same ghastly fashion as the villain in Near Death, Ken is cast as the prime suspect>
The only way for Ken to clear his name is to go full method and once again play the part of Jove Brand, except this time it’s for real. As murder surrounds him, the secrets behind Near Death Ken fought to keep buried for eighteen years begin to surface.
Hott Review of Jove Brand is Near Death:
I’ve always been a James Bond fan and grabbed Jove Brand is Near Death thinking it would be just the thing for a lazy weekend.
Let me start by saying that Jove Brand is Near Death was not at all what I anticipated. It is not going to be a book for everyone. It is not a ‘Bond child’. It is not a light quick read. It has its own unique personally. It’s very deep, full of action, full of information, and funny. But if you read too fast, you miss it. So take your time and savor this one!
What I liked: At first I really didn’t like Ken Allen. I thought I was going to immediately enjoy him, but that came slowly for me. He’s not confident, he’s not egotistical, he’s just a guy… And on the surface not a particularly great guy 🤷… until you get to know him.
One of the things I enjoyed most was that there were quite a lot of really profound reflections and statements that were especially relevant to the book… If you’re paying attention. These adages all worked perfectly within the story line and really hit you as you saw how deep Ken Allen really is.
Another thing I loved was how much I learned. Much of it about the industry, ‘This Town’, and all of it about a people and a lifestyle I’ve never experienced.
What I didn’t like: Looking back over my notes and reflections as I read Jove Brand is Near Death I can honestly say that the only thing I didn’t like was that there were things that, if you didn’t have some frame of reference, were too oblique. Acronyms, point spreads, euphemisms, fighting terms… There was obviously no way he could have explained all of these as well as I needed it to be explained (🙄🤔) but, at times, I did find myself either confused or doing a bit of research.
Summary: For me, this was a prefect mystery. We followed Ken Allen through his experience and investigation and we learned things as he did, or remembered it as he did. There were red herrings and surprises but nothing that didn’t fit with the story or the characters.
This one took some time (maybe about 15%) to ‘get into’ but as I finally slowed down and read… Jove Brand is Near Death became an excellent book. One I’m so grateful I took the time to dive into. You won’t want to miss this!
Jove Brand is Near Death Details:
Genre: Mystery
Published by: CamCat Books (July 13, 2021)
Source: I purchased this from Amazon (🎉🥳 Woohoo!! Only $3 for kindle!)
Grade: A+
Ages: 16+
Steam: Very little. There were some references but nothing more than a PG rating, I’d think.
Setting: California, Present Day
Series: Ken Allen Super Sleuth, Book 1
Author Bio:
Born near Detroit, J. A. Crawford wanted to grow up to be a superhero, before he found out it was more of a hobby. He’s the first in his family to escape the factory line for college. Too chicken to major in writing, he studied Criminal Justice at Wayne State University instead, specializing in criminal procedure and interrogation.
Despite what his family thinks, J. A. is not a spy. When he isn’t writing, he travels the country investigating disaster sites. Before that, he taught Criminal Justice, Montessori Kindergarten, and several martial arts. J. A. is an alum of the Pitch Wars program. In his spare time, he avoids carbohydrates and as many punches as possible.
He loves the stories behind the stories and finds everything under the sun entirely too interesting. J. A. splits his time between Michigan and California. He is married to his first and biggest fan, who is not allowed to bring home any more pets.
